August 26, 2011

Vineyard hotel managers urged guests to plan their exits as soon as possible, and emergency officials told locals to stock up on four days of food and water....

Of course, the little people — even rich little people — have to make their escape early, when they are dependent on commercial operations that will be overtaxed as everyone tries to leave at once. But the President has his own transport. He can leave at the precise moment he chooses, as long as the storm is not so close it's grounding the planes.

The only issue is optics. Should he be "enjoy[ing] a low-key day amid the white sands and tall waves of the private Pohogonot beach" when the commoners are scurrying for their lives/safety? As you answer that, please consider all the many disasters that have befallen our young President, making a wreck of the years of his presidency, years once envisioned as Camelot.

Ah.. sorry... it is so sad. This loss. Of the hopes. The dreams. Of the fleeting wisp of glory.

Now, let our king rest for a few brief shining moments on that beach in... <dramatic whisper>Camelot.

152 comments:

There's a good sized public school inland on the Vineyard that is an evacuation spot. Maybe Obama can take his kids there and say they've been to public school. Rahm can fly up just ahead of the storm and do the same. Wait..all "progressive" pols should seize this rare opportunity.

So what if he can leave when he wants? The issue is not his personal safety, the issue is his duty to this country.

Obama casually sunning himself on the beach while people flee and emergency crews work around him is the perfect symbol for just about every major complaint lodged against him. We have a president who doesn't care about his country.

He has given up. The last decent thing he can do is announce that he will not run for reelection.

When the obamas decide to leave, the little people who are dependent on commercial operations will have to completely stop their evacuation, while the current occupants of the White House close down the air space while they flee.

And the owner of his $50K rental property will have to stay late to board up, or else just hope there's something left when the storm is done. You know The Won isn't going to bring in the patio furniture, take down the awnings, batten down the windows, etc.

So I don't think it's about "optics" at all, if by "optics" you mean that it looks good to others and staying looks bad.

Sure, the presidential helicopter (what is it, Marine One or some-such?) can drop down and take away Obama, Michelle and the girls, but his staff and all of his security have to leave, too, and one thing that the president always does, if you like him or not, if you love him or hate him, is comprehensively disrupt everything when he travels.

No one preparing for a hurricane landfall or a possible hurricane landfall needs extra disruption.

Irene is set to hit the D.C. area Saturday late afternoon/evening or thereabouts. If Obama isn't leaving to go back to D.C. now, he isn't planning to go back until after the hurricane hits. What's he going to do, try to land in D.C. in hurricane-force winds?

That's the crux of it. isn't it - something in him evokes feelings of maternal protection. He is not young. He should be a man, but he isn't. That's really the problem. He's a whiny, think-skinned wimp.

And if he gets re-elected it will be because people see him as being picked upon. NOT because he is worthy, or has done a single good thing.

Bender said...Irene is set to hit the D.C. area Saturday late afternoon/evening or thereabouts. If Obama isn't leaving to go back to D.C. now, he isn't planning to go back until after the hurricane hits. What's he going to do, try to land in D.C. in hurricane-force winds?

8/26/11 11:16 AM

If he had any political sense never mind common decency he would cut the vacation short and go to his house in Chicago and return to the WH next Wednesday. That way if the storm is that bad he won't have burden the poor WH staff crews that maintain and operate the WH any more than necessary and would give the residents and vacationers on Martha's Vineyard enough time to evacuate and prepare without the presidential burden. God forbid that Michelle might actually have to cook a meal for the kids in their Chicago home.

Speaking as a parent, I think he should leave so as to get his kids out of harm's way. The storm will be far enough east of DC that there should be minimal damage there.

Still, I don't see why the BHerald story is bitching about something that wasn't done yesterday. Prepping for a hurricane does take days -- move all the boats, batten down the hatches, etc. -- but why should BHO leave while that's being done? It's not that hard to get off of MV.

Mick said...He should simply be thrown out of office early, since he is an ineligible non natural born Citizen, due to his birth as a British subject of a British subject father.

8/26/11 11:22 AM

Mick we got your memo. So unless you convince the Joint Chiefs Of Staff to surround the WH with tanks the guy isn't leaving the WH until 20 January 2013. Give it a rest for your own mental well being. Just be sure to vote for any one but BHO in the next election and do your patriotic duty.

First Camelot: early 6th Century Romano-British hill fort -- rather squalid and with tenuous hold on reality.

Second Camelot: middle 20th Century delusion attached to young, tanned (heh) handsome, happily married (heh) Democratic president -- -- rather squalid and with tenuous hold on reality.

Third Camelot: late 20th Century public relations screed attached to young, tanned (heh) handsome, happily married (heh) Democratic president -- -- rather squalid and with tenuous hold on reality.

Obama is what, the fourth coming of Camelot? What's with these progressives and their obsession with dressing presidential tenures with monarchical allegories? You'd think they had no faith in self government.

Ok so I was at Starbucks and I see this Asian guy sitting there and he's kinda singing badly like those people do and I could make out some words he was singing like ......come on Irene...so I gave him a piece of my mind saying dat shit ain't funny and that storm could cause a lot of damage, people could be hurt, Obamas reelection chances dashed..

Obama is what, the fourth coming of Camelot? What's with these progressives and their obsession with dressing presidential tenures with monarchical allegories? You'd think they had no faith in self government.

Sofa King said...Maybe he'll choose to ride out the storm, and help fill sandbags or something. I'd at least respect that.

If he does that, he'll just screw up his protection detail and preparedness efforts. Secret Service will be having kittens trying to keep him covered, and they'll all just get in the way of those who actually know what they're doing.

Just picture Mr. Obama in his mom jeans struggling with a shovel trying to fill a sandbag.

If he causes so much as ONE SINGLE injury or casualty by his continued presence there as the working folks try to protect their homes and families, he should simply accept that he'll be a one-term president, and not a very good one at that.

cubanbob said... "Mick said...He should simply be thrown out of office early, since he is an ineligible non natural born Citizen, due to his birth as a British subject of a British subject father.

8/26/11 11:22 AM

Mick we got your memo. So unless you convince the Joint Chiefs Of Staff to surround the WH with tanks the guy isn't leaving the WH until 20 January 2013. Give it a rest for your own mental well being. Just be sure to vote for any one but BHO in the next election and do your patriotic duty."

The truth sets me free.

Your sentiments are exactly why this Constitutional travesty has been allowed to happen, as you turn a blind eye to treason. I will do more than not vote for him, I will get him disqualified as ineligible in the next election, and while you sit on your non- principles, I will live up to my voter oath to defend the Constitution.

If the very reason for the natural born Citizen requirement is to prevent "any avenue" (see Federalist #68) to foreign influence of the Oval Office and Commander In Chief, then how is it possible that Obama, admittedly born British, of a British subject father, is a natural born Citizen, eligible for POTUS?

None of you "brilliant" lawyers, "law profs", willfully blind Usurper apologists, nor "Conservatives" can answer that question. You should all be embarrassed and ashamed.

@Rose, I'm not asserting that the trips don't cost money. I'm specifically questioning the $10M figure (that seems to have been plucked out of someone's kiester). Your linked-to articles just go back to the Daily Mail to make the claims in the article seem credible. Echo chamber.

It reminds me very much of the DOA's laughably bad estimates of how much damage protestors caused at the Wisconsin State Capitol earlier this year.

Michelle and daughters flew ahead and gained about four hours extra vac time for the expense of the plane, security, staff, vodka, Prada sandals, etc. Now they're flying back separately to enjoy another beach day? Are these people just goddamn stupid? I mean WTF?

Liburuls like to point out that George W. Bushitler took more vacation time than Obama has at this point in their respective presidencies. Yet one must point out that the Republican fuhrer took most of his time off at his own home in Berchtesgaden... er... Crawford, TX (a real four star destination, listed in black type in all the Michelin guides) which though luxurious and exclusive to the jet set, is still slightly less expensive than Martha's Vineyard.

"He's well-meaning, but is the world's worst jinx, bringing disastrous misfortune to everyone around him. A small, dark rain cloud perpetually hovers over his head to symbolize his bad luck. Hapless Btfsplk and his ever-present cloud became one of the most iconic images in Li'l Abner."

Ann's right that the only issue is optics. The presidency is a tough job and we can't hold it against the president for going on vacation. But between Michelle's constant jet-setting and Barry's endless golfing, it seems all the first family does is relax. In style. At great expense. Renting out the entire floor of a luxury Spanish hotel is bad optics. Taking off to Martha's Vineyard and then acting jovial while everyone else evacuates because you have a private 747 to get out in time is bad optics.

I suspect that beginning in January of 2012 the Obamas are going to be MUCH more restrained in their vacations. Good optics. Probably rent out a small beachhouse in North Carolina or just stay at home and have a BBQ. No more international vacations. No more exclusive destinations where only rich people go. Probably a lot more dropped-g's. "We're goin' on vacation where most folks go, either at home or just down the road. We gotta tighten our belts too!"

(The Uncredentialed, Crypto Jew) 2012 the Obamas are going to be MUCH more restrained in their vacations. Good optics. Probably rent out a small beachhouse in North Carolina or just stay at home and have a BBQ. No more international vacations. No more exclusive destinations where only rich people go. Probably a lot more dropped-g's. "We're goin' on vacation where most folks go, either at home or just down the road. We gotta tighten our belts tooNo, Coketown, that’s when the dough rolls in…look at Clinton, he didn’t become rich-rich ($100 million-plus) until AFTER his retirement. The Obama’s will be able to step up their vacations, combining them into business/speaking engagements. True, it may cost them more, but they’ll be making more, and a lot of the transport cost will be borne by the hosts and the security by the US taxpayer…the Room Service will cost the Obama’s but that’s about it.

In engineering school it was pounded into us that, just because a number comes up on your calculator, doesn't make it true. For each and every result you have to ask if that number makes sense given everything you know about the problem.

Forty-two days of vacation for the First Lady, a number not under dispute, could easily cost ten million dollars. Transportation, security, accommodations for a very large entourage-- I think ten mil is probably lowballing it. In other words, the number makes sense.

We'll try this again, Mick, since you seem to have cognitive failure each time this comes up. Regarding me personally, I have never once said I disagree with your claim. Thus, I have no question to answer.

You, on the other hand, have never answered mine. It's quite simple. You obviously feel strongly about this issue and believe yourself to be provably on the right side of the law. Given this, you're a piss-poor patriot if you don't do something about it. So, given that, what are you going to do about it besides posting on a blog a tiny, tiny sliver of the American voting public reads.

No, Coketown, that’s when the dough rolls in…look at Clinton, he didn’t become rich-rich ($100 million-plus) until AFTER his retirement.

No, no. Optimistically, retirement for Obama won't come until 2013. 2012 is a campaign year. Optics. But thanks for reminding me. I'll be depressed the rest of the day: That douchebag and his whole family will be leeching taxpayer money for the rest of his life. >:(

The heirs of Al Capp oughta sue the heirs of Hanna-Barbera. What a rip...

LOL.

I will offer one other viable position. Maybe the Pebbles show's writers did it as a sop to the parents who might be watching the show with their kids. The parents would see it and laugh cuz they'd get the reference to Joe Btfsplk.

Much the same as how Disney includes a lot of adult humor references in their kids' movies, apparently to keep us entertained while we watch said movie with our kids.

And really, people actually like Clinton. I see why people pay him to speak. A friend of mine is going to a healthcare seminar in Vegas next month and the keynote speaker is Bill Clinton. Mind you, this isn't a healthcare policy seminar; this is like Beckman-Coulter machine training. There's no reason for Clinton to be speaking there! But he is.

If Obama's current plummet-to-earth-and-keep-digging trajectory continues, the DNC might pay him $150,000 NOT to show up at their conventions.

(The Uncredentialed, Crypto Jew) That douchebag and his whole family will be leeching taxpayer money for the rest of his lifeNo, Coketown as I understand it, Dubya and Obama only get Secret Service Protection for 10 years. It was a reform put in under Dubya….true we’ll pay a pension and health benefits for life, but the administrative and security costs are limited, now. Mind you being very well off, on the speaking tour, the Obama’s will be able to afford hi –class security, and massages…and top shelf Vodka Martini’s-if the Daily Mail is to be believed.

I dislike indulgence of a thread hijacker on principle, but here goes:

Just for the sake of argument let's assume everything you claim regarding Obama's citizenship or lack thereof is true. If the process started today the House couldn't return a True Bill of Indictment before next spring, say March or April. Then it's off to the Senate for trial, which requires 67 votes to convict. The last time I checked the Democrats are in the majority in that chamber, so unless there are defections there is zero change for conviction. Bill Clinton was clearly guilty of willful false testimony under oath, but the Democrats rallied and saved his ass, remember? However, even in the unlikely event of a conviction, impeachment would only deliver us into the hands of Joe Biden. Do you really think that's an improvement?

There are times when the demand of the President to suspend vacation so he can address a minor crisis du jour or perform some abstract ceremonial function get a little ridiculous.

1. Why hasn't Clinton ended his vacation so he can personally greet the fallen heroes of Mogodishu arriving in caskets at Dover?2. The usual "Hurricane! Disaster!" dodge so effectively deployed against the hapless Bush. 3. How DARE Obama be vacationing in Hawaii when much of the Midwest is buried in a blizzard.

Journalist idiots that see the President as Superman, flitting from place to place to "Take Charge" of any event big or small. Screw what a media cabal in NYC defines as "optics" and "appropriate vacation duration" as a function of events.

In defense of Obama (his vacation happy wife is a completely different story) - the guy has taken less "real vacation, working vacation" time than Reagan, Bush II did. More foreign junkets in his 1st year than anyone, but he has wound down on that.

Quaestor, you’re too hard on “Slow Joe” and I believe that a place must be found for him in the Palin Administration…the guy does more to lighten the mood of the country than most anything I’ve seen recently…you know “three letter words, like J-O-B-S” or “Stand Up Chuck”…

Do you realize the costs include flying those big Air Force jets? What do they cost an hour, just for fuel? How about the other jet that carries their vehicles? Have you ever seen pictures of the number of secret service people alongside them? Do you realize that there are even more out of the view of the camera? What does those people cost? Remember, they also have to be fed and housed, more than likely in the same hotel. Give me your estimate what that would cost per day. $100? $10,000? Give me your best guess.

Quaestor said... "Mick the troll wrote:What Are You Going To Do About It?

I dislike indulgence of a thread hijacker on principle, but here goes:

Just for the sake of argument let's assume everything you claim regarding Obama's citizenship or lack thereof is true. If the process started today the House couldn't return a True Bill of Indictment before next spring, say March or April. Then it's off to the Senate for trial, which requires 67 votes to convict. The last time I checked the Democrats are in the majority in that chamber, so unless there are defections there is zero change for conviction. Bill Clinton was clearly guilty of willful false testimony under oath, but the Democrats rallied and saved his ass, remember? However, even in the unlikely event of a conviction, impeachment would only deliver us into the hands of Joe Biden. Do you really think that's an improvement?

Why not wait for a humiliating defeat come November 7th, 2012"

While Congress certainly has a slew of Crimes or misdemeanors to hang on the putative POTUS Obama, attaining the office of POTUS ineligibly is not necessarily a crime. The Constitutional remedy for his ouster is Quo Warranto in the DC District Court. However there are no patriots w/ standing to commence that legal preceding, and Jeffery Taylor abruptly resigned when faced w/ the pressure to do so. When Obama becomes a Candidate again there will be millions w/ standing to challenge his eligibility. Defeating him will not cure the damage he has done to the USC, explelling him from office or preventing his candidacy will. An expulsion by QW would allow congress to appoint a President-- it would not be Biden necessarily.

"You, on the other hand, have never answered mine. It's quite simple. You obviously feel strongly about this issue and believe yourself to be provably on the right side of the law."

And if you believed I was correct (or were not an Obama Internet Brigade member) you would also feel yourself to be on the right side of the law. The fact is that you can't answer the question w/o admitting that I'm right, just like everyone else who can't answer the question. You should all be ashamed, especially any "lawyers" or "Law profs" here.

What I want to know is whether his continued presence on the island is complicating islanders' efforts to get ready for the hurricane. I'll bet it is (didn't they have to shut down the airport when they arrived?) I'm sure they'd be relieved if he'd clear out and take all his jets and SUV motorcades and extra mouths to feed back where they came from.

It's mostly the symbolism, though, of vacationing serenely while the rest of the east coast scrambles. I have never seen such a politically tone-deaf president -- and he was supposed to be the great political genius!

Mick also wrote:An expulsion by QW would allow congress to appoint a President-- it would not be Biden necessarily.

a) A president cannot be expelled with a QW writ. Though he may be forced to produce his original birth certificate. The Latin means "by what warranty or authority?" It's a question, not an order to vacate. There would still be an impeachment. That's the only way to lawfully remove a president.b) Congress doesn't have the authority to appoint a president. According to the 25th Amendment, Section 1 the Vice-President automatically succeeds. The reason for Section 1 was to make it clear to the Ruskies that decapitation wouldn't spare them from immediate retaliation. Yes, Biden would get the launch codes.c) The Patriot Action Network are moonbats. Don't cite them on Constitutional issues.

Do you really think that they make the secret service pay for their rooms? Pay them $42/day for food and hotel room. Do you know what a meal would cost in the hotels that they stay at? Or what it costs to stay at these places. Do you think that they are staying a Motel 6?

"a) A president cannot be expelled with a QW writ. Though he may be forced to produce his original birth certificate. The Latin means "by what warranty or authority?" It's a question, not an order to vacate. There would still be an impeachment. That's the only way to lawfully remove a president.b) Congress doesn't have the authority to appoint a president. According to the 25th Amendment, Section 1 the Vice-President automatically succeeds. The reason for Section 1 was to make it clear to the Ruskies that decapitation wouldn't spare them from immediate retaliation. Yes, Biden would get the launch codes.c) The Patriot Action Network are moonbats. Don't cite them on Constitutional issues."

You are correct. The 25th Amendment provides for the removal, but the VP takes over.

25th Amendment:

"Section 4. Whenever the Vice President and a majority of either the principal officers of the executive departments or of such other body as Congress may by law provide, transmit to the President pro tempore of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives their written declaration that the President is unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office, the Vice President shall immediately assume the powers and duties of the office as Acting President.

Thereafter, when the President transmits to the President pro tempore of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives his written declaration that no inability exists, he shall resume the powers and duties of his office unless the Vice President and a majority of either the principal officers of the executive department or of such other body as Congress may by law provide, transmit within four days to the President pro tempore of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives their written declaration that the President is unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office. Thereupon Congress shall decide the issue, assembling within forty-eight hours for that purpose if not in session. If the Congress, within twenty-one days after receipt of the latter written declaration, or, if Congress is not in session, within twenty-one days after Congress is required to assemble, determines by two-thirds vote of both Houses that the President is unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office, the Vice President shall continue to discharge the same as Acting President; otherwise, the President shall resume the powers and duties of his office."

The "other body that Congress by law may provide" is the DC District Court, although the QW case of Obama's eligibility would probably be appealed to the SCOTUS. Even if Obama was declared Ineligible by the SCOTUS, I assume there would be traitorous members of Congress on both sides that would try and prevent Obama's removal. Obama knew very well that the vetting process, controlled by the political parties, was a sham, and that once past the Electoral College (where no calls for objections were made, according to law) it would be very hard to remove him. His transition to "candidate" however, provides a much clearer path, and there are plenty of citizens w/ standing to challenge his eligibility at that point.

It is the 20th Amendment (section 3) that allows Congress to choose a POTUS if neither the POTUS or VP "shall have qualified".

move all the boats, batten down the hatches, etc. -- but why should BHO leave while that's being done?

The Coasties have cutters off the cape as part the POTUS security bubble, they must head out to the open sea in advance of the storm. There are also other waterborne "assets" such as SEAL teams and landing craft that must be pulled back.

Then there's the matter of AF-1 and the C5's that carry support equipment; limos, Suburbans, Helios, etc. All aircraft rotates at given windspeeds, be they on the ground or in the the air.

I've seen B-52's trying to takeoff in in advance of a cat 3 typhoon that changed course and it's pretty hairy and C-130's were flipped over like toys. The Hercs can carry and drop a tank...they are not small aircraft.

You also forget that any POTUS, not just Obama, requires considerable air assets, unless you've seen them fly in, you have no idea what is involved. Back in the days before 9/11 when you could watch aircraft land and take off at urban airports, we watched Clinton's fleet arrive at Moffett Field in the south Bay (we worked nearby).

At some point the SS, Coasties and MAC command will make a decision to move the air & sea assets and Obama will either go with them or not, but move they will.

I've seen B-52's trying to takeoff in in advance of a cat 3 typhoon that changed course and it's pretty hairy and C-130's were flipped over like toys. The Hercs can carry and drop a tank...they are not small aircraft.

Irene != Cat 3 and it won't be. Microwave data pretty clearly shows the collapse of the eyewall, and absent an inner core it's gonna be very hard for the hurricane to intensify.

This manufactured outrage about whether or not he leaves is interesting to read.